The Shaw Group in Lantz, Atlas Block, the leading concrete supplier to the Greater Toronto Area, and Basalite Concrete Products in San Francisco are all employing CarbonCure’s technology in demonstration plants.

“We’ll have 11 plants running by the end of 2013,” said Niven. “So we’re looking at geographic coverage across North America.”

Key markets for the eight new plants will include the New York City and Chicago areas, Florida and British Columbia, said the 34-year-old.

The technology, which fits in a suitcase, can be added to existing masonry plants. It allows them to capture about 20 per cent of the carbon produced by the manufacture of cement used in pavers, retaining walls and concrete blocks.

“Our company’s goal is to get to carbon-negative concrete,” Niven said. “We hope to be there in two years. But that is a very big global aspiration, so we’re going to need to work with partners on that.”

The final product is also about 20 per cent stronger than regular masonry products.

“It does reduce their cost of manufacturing with a strength benefit,” Niven said.

CarbonCure covers the capital cost of installing its equipment in plants.

“It’s a royalty licensing play, so we make it very easy for producers to adopt the technology,” Niven said.

“It’s a sliding scale that will depend upon the amount of production that your plant is able to manufacture.”